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My dog's loose nail looks like it's falling off. Is it normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 9 months and 28 days old

My 1 year old dogs back nail looks really loose and looks like its about to fall off, is this normal

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on June 25th, 2016

Dogs do shed their nails, especially if they grow too long. As long as there is no blood, your dog isn't in pain, or there isn't a sign of infection, I don't think it's anything to worry about. You can get dog specific nail trimmers from a pet shop to help keep them from getting too long.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Andrea M. Brodie, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    No, nails should not fall off just like that. He may have torn his nail while playing. There are other causes of this happening as well such as fungal infeections or bacterial infections or allergies. I suggest you have your veterinarian examine Neptune's toes. The vet may have to remove the loose nail and bandage the foot until it heals again.

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    Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

    Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

    Published on

    No, this does not sound normal. But, it is relatively common for dogs to injure their toenails while running or playing - your dog may have broken his toenail near the base, or nail bed. If this is the case, it is probably painful and may also bleed a little. Other, less common problems that could cause this would include a bacterial or fungal infection of the nail bed, or even certain auto-immune diseases. I would recommend having your dog's paw examined by a vet - if the nail is broken, he/she can trim it back and apply powder to stop the bleeding. Your dog may also need antibiotics to prevent the toe from becoming infected.

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